"PatBateman" (PatBateman)
09/19/2014 at 12:49 • Filed to: Floods | 11 | 36 |
A week back or so, there was a story on Gawker's "The Vane" subblog about !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! who ignore barricades and drive into flood waters liable for the cost of their rescue. Here is why this law should be adopted by the rest of the nation.
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In that story, I made a comment about my experiences as a young firefighter 20 years ago (DAMN I'm old!). To summarize, I had multiple motorists drive around myself, a fire engine, and barricades, only to get stuck in the rising flood water that I was warning them about. It's all true, by the way. People ignore barricades, police officers, firefighters, and warning signs because... Well, I don't know why.
Yesterday, at the SAME EXACT low water crossing in West Austin that I drew my experiences from, history repeated itself. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! drove around a police car (and the officer who was installing the flood barricades across the road) and into the rising water running across the road. The Volvo got stuck, of course. The police officer jumped into the water to save the driver, but was himself carried away into the raging creek.
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The driver was lucky (REALLY lucky): she managed to pull herself out of the water about 300 yards down the creek. The Rollingwood PD officer wasn't as lucky. He was clinging to a tree branch for 20 minutes until rescuers arrived to help. Currently, the officer, Josh Odom, is in ICU at Austin's Seton South Hospital in critical but stable condition. All because a driver, one of many, thought they could make it across a swift low water crossing that was flooded out.
If this was an isolated incident, I would happily throw up my hands and blame this horrible event on this one driver. But it's not an isolated incident. Not by a long shot. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! per year in the United States, with over half of those deaths being vehicle-related. Those numbers do not count the many rescues that put first responders like Officer Odom in danger. So how do we put a dent in these numbers?
If the fear of death doesn't scare people into steering clear of flooded roads, perhaps the fear of losing money would. A rescue operation can literally cost taxpayers thousands of dollars at minimum. By making people that purposely ignore physical barriers and become in need of rescue in a flood personally liable for the costs of these operations, it might cut down on those deaths. Every state needs this law because every state experiences these events.
I am hopeful that Officer Odom recovers and is not included in those statistics.
505Turbeaux
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 12:51 | 1 |
100%
PatBateman
> 505Turbeaux
09/19/2014 at 12:56 | 1 |
Just to clarify, the pic that I attached to the story is of the actual crossing on the downstream side, after a flood. Imagine the water three feet higher than the roadway and moving at about 20 MPH. That's what people are driving through.
I've seen cars stuck in trees 20 feet in the air just downstream from this location after a flood here.
505Turbeaux
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 12:58 | 1 |
unreal the stupidity there. Ugh. Though I want to see pics of cars in trees!
MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 12:58 | 0 |
I hope this happens in all states and I also hope Officer Odom recovers.
My only line item I would include is that insurance stay out of it. I don't want insurance rates skyrocketing because idiots can just pay a 500$ deductible to get out of this. If it's a $4,000 bill - you pay it. If you ignore a "danger flood ahead do not pass" sign it's entirely your fault.
jariten1781
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 12:59 | 1 |
If the fear of death doesn't scare people into steering clear of flooded roads, perhaps the fear of losing money would.
I don't think so. They are not thinking rationally when they do this and adding another penalty (as if death isn't a good enough one) probably wouldn't cause them to start doing so. That said, I'm in agreement with the penalty...just realizing it's punitive for the driver and as restitution for all the non-idiots out there.
CAR_IS_MI
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:00 | 1 |
People ignore barricades, police officers, firefighters, and warning signs because... Well, I don't know why.
An overbearing value of self worth...
Jcarr
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:02 | 1 |
Reminded me of this guy:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/…
I love footing the bill for stupidity.
PatBateman
> 505Turbeaux
09/19/2014 at 13:04 | 1 |
I should have taken one. It was the night directly after a huge flood in Fall 1994/Spring 1995. One Friday night, we had some seriously severe flash floods with rescues. A cheerleader at my HS (I was actually a Senior in HS at the time AND a volunteer firefighter, it was cool because I was good at both) drove her Ford Probe into the same crossing as pictured. There were a couple more cars in her position, and I was first on the scene.
Engine pulled up, we grabbed the gear, another FF waded out (he already had the gear on when the engine arrived) and grabbed all three of them.
The next day, I was actually driving to take the SAT and what did I see? That Ford Probe, stuck halfway up a tree 100 yards down the creek. Lucky girl.
PatBateman
> MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2014 at 13:06 | 1 |
Personally liable is personally liable. Insurance wouldn't cover it.
PatBateman
> jariten1781
09/19/2014 at 13:07 | 0 |
Even if one person turns around because they think of the thousands (potentially TENS of thousands) they would be out-of-pocket, then I'm okay with it.
PatBateman
> CAR_IS_MI
09/19/2014 at 13:09 | 1 |
For many, yes. Especially that one guy in the 7-Series that once argued with me that I should move the fire engine out of his way because he "needs to get through, and you're making a big deal out of a little water."
Screw you, pal.
MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:09 | 1 |
Good, you never know what they'll try and stick in to up premiums.
And I want the potential money loss for idiots that put rescue workers in unnecessarily dangerous situations to be as high as possible.
spanfucker retire bitch
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:11 | 1 |
Yesterday, at the SAME EXACT low water crossing in West Austin that I drew my experiences from, history repeated itself. A Volvo drove around a police car (and the officer who was installing the flood barricades across the road) and into the rising water running across the road. The Volvo got stuck, of course. The police officer jumped into the water to save the driver, but was himself carried away into the raging creek.
I have no words.
Is she being prosecuted for anything? Was she at least beat senseless by everyone and anyone with half a brain?
CAR_IS_MI
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:11 | 2 |
We have a lot of flash floods out here and one of my local PD friends got so fed up with people ignoring him, driving around his car and / or barricades, when people would pull up he would stop them, make them roll down their window and say "Sure you can drive through it, but if you get stuck, I will not come to help you". They of course did get stuck, and he would stand there looking at them as they just waited in their now flooded car (note: he would only be this brash if the flood was stagnant enough that the persons life was not in danger).
It's so common out here that the city (a.k.a. my taxes) spends millions of dollars per year to put up billboards telling people to not drive into flooded areas. They still do. I still find it hilarious, as the areas surrounding my house are prone to flooding, when I pull up to this area and see stranded cars and the people who once occupied them looking all confused and talking about "I don't know what happened. Everything was fine and then the car just shut off."
Well no shit numb nuts. You sucked 10 gallons of water through your Camrys intake because it wasn't built to be a boat!
PatBateman
> Jcarr
09/19/2014 at 13:13 | 1 |
WHAT. A. DICK.
nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:14 | 1 |
ooh! That means I still have time to go drive my car into the ocean since they don't have any warning barricades up! Awwe yiss
PatBateman
> spanfucker retire bitch
09/19/2014 at 13:14 | 1 |
She probably wasn't beaten, but I'm not certain if she'll be prosecuted.
She should be, though. For something.
PatBateman
> CAR_IS_MI
09/19/2014 at 13:17 | 1 |
Yup. Same kind of people would do the same kind of crap with me.
I WASN'T STANDING IN THE RAIN, IN FULL BUNKER GEAR, TO GIVE "HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS".
PatBateman
> nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul
09/19/2014 at 13:18 | 2 |
Do it and video it!! Nothing bad will happen, I promise!
CAR_IS_MI
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:20 | 1 |
People like this make me wish that being sued for someone else's stupidity wasn't a thing. You want to go for a swim, be my guest. Bye.
PatBateman
> MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2014 at 13:21 | 0 |
What? You really think the FD would give them a discount? HELL NO! We're factoring in fuel, hourly wages, depreciation of gear, cost of electricity to wash and dry our clothes...
spanfucker retire bitch
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:21 | 2 |
That's when you blast him with a hose and shout; "HOW'S THAT FOR A LITTLE WATER!?"
PatBateman
> CAR_IS_MI
09/19/2014 at 13:22 | 1 |
I wish insurance wouldn't cover them if they indeed drove into a flood in these conditions.
Tim
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:26 | 1 |
Well said. I live in PHX and all summer (And even in fall and spring while it's still warm) I watch helicopters rescue people from the surrounding peaks. Hikers who went without water or a light.
I can't count the amount of times I've seen a hiker with NO water while it's 110 degrees out or someone hiking up to watch the sunset with no plan to get down in the dark (Flashlight, what's that?). It's similar to the flooded road in the sense that even the slightest bit of personal responsibility could fix the issue.
I think there should be a cost to those rescued to deter them from making a stupid decision. The firefighters and rescuers who risk their own lives to rescue them are put in harms way needlessly. (Which is different than when someone is injured via an accident which comes with the territory and is not really the fault of the individual) There are plenty of legitimate accidents where they have to put themselves in harms way without adding more for peoples carelessness.
MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:26 | 0 |
no no no, I think they'd get paid in full- but that the insurance company would pay the bill after the idiot drive paid their 500 deductible.
that's what I want to avoid.
PatBateman
> spanfucker retire bitch
09/19/2014 at 13:27 | 1 |
LOL I actually have blasted a car with a fire hose before. We had a major gas leak (someone cut through a large natural gas pipeline) on this very same road when someone went around the THREE police cars blocking the road and directly into our scene. Since the car could spark a major explosion, I aimed the standby hose I was manning at the windshield and hit it with a straight stream. He slammed on the brakes, got out, and I hit him with a slightly less powerful stream of water. Then the cops ran up, turned the car off, and arrested him.
That was fun.
CAR_IS_MI
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:27 | 1 |
Well they probably wouldn't if a report was filed where emergency crews stated that this person should not drive into this area but the person ignored them and drove in anyways. Thats willful negligence.
spanfucker retire bitch
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:28 | 0 |
That is fucking fantastic.
PatBateman
> MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/19/2014 at 13:30 | 0 |
Nah, I don't think that the insurance company would cover that.
PatBateman
> spanfucker retire bitch
09/19/2014 at 13:31 | 0 |
It was a Pucker Factor: 8 event, but yeah, spraying that moron was GLORIOUS.
MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 13:34 | 1 |
good.
Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 15:59 | 1 |
This reminds me of the time that a woman that was local to where I lived, took her niece and nephew(both under 10 yo) across a flooded bridge. A bridge that was, at normal water level, 20 feet over the water. She had to cross the bridge every day, so she knew how deep it was. Needless to say she lived and the two kids died. Yet, she somehow wasn't at fault.
PatBateman
> Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/19/2014 at 17:10 | 0 |
God, how horrible!!
Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 17:24 | 1 |
The lack of common sense in the world is scary sometimes. Here is said bridge: https://www.google.com/maps/place/215… Even from just satellite you can see it's high for a small bridge. What compels someone to drive across this bridge when water is above it is beyond me.
bubblestheturtle
> PatBateman
09/19/2014 at 19:27 | 0 |
Not for nothing, but I'm not sure we needed a post on WHY we need that law everywhere. Seems pretty obvious.
PatBateman
> bubblestheturtle
09/19/2014 at 19:48 | 0 |
It's obvious to US. If you noticed in the pic, it wasn't obvious to that person.